HOTEL REVIEW – A STAY AT THE STEIGENBERGER GRANDHOTEL:
On our first couple of nights in Brussels we stayed at the Steigenberger Grandhotel at 71, Avenue Louise – and what a fabulous hotel to start our Belgium holiday from. Although I was initially disappointed that our hotel was not one on the Grand Place, it turns out that the Steigenberger Grand is one of the signature hotels on our trip. It is located in Brussels’ lovely shopping mile, but unluckily for us, the shops along this prestigious shopping strip are closed on Sunday.
First Impression
Steigenberger Grandhotel is a luxury hotel with all the usual services for the business traveller. We would have happily stayed on at this hotel for the rest of our visit.
Hotel Rooms
The hotel has 225 rooms, all of which are quite large, with the smallest (classic room) being 45 sq metres.The rooms are described as being done in the luxurious design of the 19th century and the noble style of 21st century. Our room no. 418 on the fourth floor is huge and the bathroom is plush and spacious.
Meals we had
Breakfast is at Wiltcher’s breakfast room on the ground floor. There is a good spread of food and getting a double espresso is not a problem.
What we particularly liked:
- Nespresso coffee maker – Whilst not the best coffee, it’s nevertheless a treat to have your own espresso coffee machine in the room.
- Free WiFi in all areas of the hotel and the signal strength is good.
- A huge, spacious work desk allows us to work comfortably.
- Room temperature is pleasant and the bathroom marble floor is heated in the mornings.
What we were not keen on:
- Free WiFi is limited to 256 kb only. If you need greater bandwith, you’ll need to pay for this. This is a bit mean, considering that providing adequate access does not cost the hotel much. It’s a business hotel so why irritate guests by petty charges.
- The hotel did some renovation works the afternoon of our arrival, which prevented us from having a little snooze after our long flight. The guy at the reception apologized when we complained, but a good 5-star hotel would have followed up with a note from management apologizing for the inconvenience.
Location
Steigenberger Grandhotel is located on the southern perimeter of the Brussels’ historical centre and it takes a leisurely 20 minutes to walk to the Grand-Place and the Manneken-Pis statue. There is a tram stop next to the hotel and Tram lines 93 and 94 goes to the centre. We caught a taxi back from Grand Place after dinner and that cost us Euros 7.5.
Brussels-Central Train Station is 3 km away from the hotel and Brussels International Airport is 14 minutes away by car.
Steigenberger is a businessman’s hotel and its Le Fumoir By Loui smoker’s lounge is intended to appeal to businessmen wanting to enjoy a cigar and drink.
You can book the Steigenberger Grandhotel Here.
Address:
Steigenberger Grandhotel
71, Avenue Louise / Louizalaan 71
1050 Brussels, Belgium
Map of Brussels:
1050 Ixelles, Belgium
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